GIDEON are a four man Metalcore band, formed in Alabama in 2008. More Power More Pain is their 6^th album and is released on Equal Vision Records. I've not heard of Gideon before but on the strength of this album, I'll certainly be diving into their back catalogue as this is a powerhouse of a record. "Hell For A Man" is a short intro where a man is interviewed relating to his life and it's a narrative that permeates the album which makes it different from the norm. Standout track "Locked Out Of Heaven"  kicks out of the speakers after a low-fi intro with heavy pounding riff and thumping drums.

"Tear myself apart just to play the game" screams Daniel before a punishing riff blasts out of the speaker. The chorus is massive and the echoey vocals wouldn't sound out of place on a DEFTONES record. It's an excellent track and what is noticeable is the clarity of the vocals where you can hear the lyrics. I would have preferred Daniel's vocals to be a little higher in the mix but that's just my preference and doesn't detract from the overall sound.

"Push It Back" is infused with electronic beeps and again a massive chorus.

"I wanna break everything around me
 I wanna break everything
 I wanna break everything around me
Cause everything wanna break me."

I felt I wanted to break everything too as a SLIPKNOT like riff comes kicking and screaming with conviction. Daniel sounds so pissed off and it's glorious with the guitar and rhythm sounding huge. "More Power More Pain" again infuses electronics with kick-ass riffs and it sounds great:

"Do you feel the power
Pull you through the pain
From strength to strength, no cowards
Weakness devoured
Do you feel the power
No sacrifice in vain
It's the price you pay
More Power More Pain"

Daniel's vocals really shine with great clarity and aggression as the track slows down to its weighty conclusion. "Take Off" starts with a rumbling bass and again intersperses electronics and has a fab chorus:

"Pedal to the metal - I just wanna take off."

Great stuff! There's additional guitar atmospherics in songs like "If You Love Me Let Me Go" which adds another element to the sound and the chorus is impactful. "Off The Rails" has a speedy riff which hurtles along before the chorus comes with the echoey atmospheric guitar. It's a powerful track that ends with Daniel screaming: "OFF THE RAILLLLSSSSS" and you feel his frustration, anger and pain. You'll know by now whether you will like the album or not so I'll leave you to discover the rest.

All in all this is a fantastic album which showcases that Metalcore can sound refreshing. The weaker tracks like "Too Much Is Never Enough" which doesn't really go anywhere and "Damned If I Do (Damned If I Don't) which lacks cohesion, are only weaker because the stronger tracks are so good. Also the songs come in around the 3 minute mark so are very punchy and there's loads of riffs you really want to head bang to. The electronics add a nice touch and complement the aggression on display rather than overshadowing the songs.  Daniel's vocals are glorious (and easily one of the best Metalcore vocalists I've heard) and he's ably complemented by a fantastic clear production, punchy guitar and dynamic rhythm.

A thoroughly enjoyable album which really puts the "Pedal to the metal"